


What Do Just Friends Do?

by dontwakeme_causeimdreaming



Category: The 100 (TV), The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Based on a True Story, Bellarke, College AU, F/M, Friends With Benefits AU, I said it's an au ok, Implied Sexual Content, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Neighbors AU, Swearing, The 100 - Freeform, at what point does fwb become dating lmk, bellarke AU, ignore the fact that Bellamy and Octavia are the same age in this, lowkey texting au, mutual ignorance of their own emotions, rated teen for swearing and implied sexual content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 07:17:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16970187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontwakeme_causeimdreaming/pseuds/dontwakeme_causeimdreaming
Summary: Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin are next door neighbors as well as best friends. For years, their friends have been joking about their sexual tension and constantly trying to set the two of them up; however, Clarke and Bellamy have secretly been friends with benefits for months, laughing that their friends don't realize. Their friends are laughing too, though, because Bellamy and Clarke are the last to realize they're in love.





	What Do Just Friends Do?

**Author's Note:**

> The friends with benefits au that no one asked for because my best inspiration comes from my real life events! As always, I do not own the 100. Those rights go to Kass Morgan and Jason Rothenberg. If anyone would be interested in being a beta reader, please let me know because I would appreciate that so much! Hope you enjoy :)

**09/18/18 at 8:06p**

 

From Raven’s spot curled up on the couch, she called to Clarke in the kitchen. “Guess who’s coming over tonight!”

 

Clarke peaked her head out around the doorway corner and taste-tested the tomato sauce on her spoon, arching an eyebrow at Raven. When she finished trying the sauce, she asked “Who?” while feigning indifference.

 

Raven smirked in response, and said in a singsong voice, “Oh, you know, just our neighbors. Jasper, Monty, Murphy, Miller and **_Bellamy_** ”.

 

Luckily, Clarke was saved from responding as Octavia and Harper walked into the house. Octavia tossed her backpack aside and fell backwards onto the sectional with all the grace of a baby deer.

 

“What about Bellamy?” Octavia asked with her forearm draped over her eyes.

 

Clarke purposefully sipped from her wine glass as Raven announced, “Oh, nothing in particular… I was just telling Clarke how I invited all the boys over”.

 

Upon hearing this, Octavia propped herself up on one elbow and turned to face Clarke, wearing a matching Cheshire grin to Raven’s.

 

Octavia chuckled to herself and proclaimed, “My day just got so much better!”

 

Clarke excused herself to go check the sauce.

 

Later, everyone sat on the sectional, and dirty dishes and glasses littered the coffee table. Jasper sat on the armrest and Monty the floor as the pair aggressively played _Mario Kart_ with Harper. They both groaned as Jasper managed to knock himself and Monty both off of _Rainbow Road_ , effectively handing first place over to Harper, who smirked triumphantly.

 

Raven rested her legs on the ottoman and carefully balanced her laptop in her lap. It always impressed, but never surprised, Clarke that Raven managed to do her Advanced Quantum Mechanics homework after drinking a few glasses of wine. She computed numbers into her TI-84 and occasionally tore her eyes from the screen long enough to contribute to the conversation.

 

Octavia sat cross-legged and faced Miller as the two argued amicably over whether or not Snape is tragic hero. Miller was mistakenly under the impression that he was, but Octavia righteously questioned his motives and morals.

 

Seeing as Murphy and Emori had excused themselves prior to hang out privately in her bedroom, Bellamy and Clarke were left to their own devices. (“Of course,” Clarke thought, “because that’s how you not-so-subtlety set-up your two friends”.) He sat with his legs stretched out on the coffee table, carefully avoiding knocking over any dishware, and Clarke leaned against the cushions with her feet in his lap.

 

Her friends kept shooting her pleased grins, but Clarke’s challenging eyebrow prevented any further comments.

 

Midnight crept up on the group. One minute they were sitting eating rigatoni and meatballs, and the next Harper announced she had to be awake again in six hours for her 8 am. Jasper, Monty, and Miller bid the girls goodnight, excusing themselves to head back to their own half of the duplex.

 

Bellamy hung back though, offering to help Clarke wash the bowls. And if his roommates shot him a knowing look, he pretended not to notice.

 

They washed in companionable silence. Clarke scrubbed, and Bellamy dried. When Raven and Octavia followed suit after Harper and declared they too were going to bed, the pair turned to each other.

 

In one motion, she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, and lifted herself onto her tiptoes to close the distance between them. Bellamy crashed his lips into hers, and Clarke hitched her legs onto his waist. He took the hint, and propped her onto the counter as she wound her fingers through his hair.

 

Clarke broke apart breathlessly, and asked, “Do you think they figured it out yet?”.

 

Bellamy looked up from where he was kissing a trail down her throat, and laughed huskily, “Definitely not. Miller keeps trying to convince me that I’m attracted to you”.

 

She huffed out a half-laugh-half-gasp as Bellamy resumed trailing down her neck, and she was effectively silenced after that.

 

He was gone from her bed the next morning before Harper was even awake for her 8 am, ensuring they could avoid a good-natured ribbing from their friends.

 

+++

 

**09/19/18 at 9:41a**

 

As Emori, Octavia and Clarke rode the bus to campus together the next morning, Octavia stared hard at Clarke. She noticed from the corner of her eye, but ignored her until hearing Octavia’s dramatic sigh.

 

She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes as Octavia blew hair from her face. “Yes…?” she inquired.

 

“I’ve just been thinking…” Octavia began.

 

“And did it hurt?”

 

This time Octavia narrowed her eyes in response, and she gently hit Clarke’s shoulder before announcing, “No, as a matter of fact I do it quite often. But that’s not the point. The point is that you would make a great sister-in-law, so I really think it’s time you hop off your high horse and just fuck my brother already”.

 

Clarke rolled her eyes in response, and looked to Emori for support, but Emori only shrugged before resuming her scroll through Twitter. Without back up, Clarke huffed, then replied, “I hope you know that if I fucked your brother, that wouldn’t magically make us sister-in-laws. Surprisingly, there's more to it than that”.

 

“It’s a step in the right direction, at least,” she muttered in response.

 

+++

 

**10/02/18 at 6:49p**

 

 **Emori to _make Bellarke canon_** : just came home to find Bellarke spooning on the couch???

 

 **Jasper to _make Bellarke canon_** : !!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!1!!!

 

 **Jasper to _make Bellarke canon_** : omg it’s finally happening

 

**Jasper changed the group name to _Bellarke is finally canon_**

 

 **Miller to _Bellarke is finally canon_** : idk they’ve done that at ours too idt it’s anything special

 

 **Raven to _Bellarke is finally canon_** : this is getting ridiculous they’re pretty much a celibate couple

 

 **Octavia to _Bellarke is finally canon_** : not that I want to think about my brother having sex

 

 **Octavia to _Bellarke is finally canon_** : but we gotta nudge them in the right direction

 

 **Monty to _Bellarke is finally canon_** : romantic dinner to set the mood?

 

**7 people liked Monty’s message in _Bellarke is finally canon_**

 

+++

 

Bellamy and Clarke were already together when their group chat all mysteriously canceled plans for the night. Jasper and Monty bailed to attend a meeting for the D&D club at the local library, Murphy and Emori wanted to celebrate their 1,000 day anniversary (“because that’s totally a thing people do,” Bellamy complained) and Harper, Raven, Miller and Octavia decided to study for their Music 100 exam that all four of them had conveniently forgotten was the next morning.

 

When they walked into Bellamy’s kitchen and saw a pre-made candle-lit dinner waiting for them on the dining table, they did nothing more but share a smirking glance as they sat down to eat.

 

“You’d think they’d have noticed it by now,” Clarke said bemusedly

 

Bellamy shrugged as he scooped ramen noodles onto his plate, because in spite of the romantic atmosphere, his roommates couldn’t cook for shit. As he covered the pot with the condensation-covered lid, he looked up toward Clarke and replied, “I don’t think they’re putting much stock into us sleeping together every night. They probably think it’s platonic”.

 

Clarke nearly choked on her noodles, and Bellamy stopped slurping the broth to shoot her a concerned glance. She cleared her throat, and ventured, “but uh… this **_is_** platonic, isn’t it?”

 

He nodded, and reached out across the table to squeeze her hand. “Of course,” he offered, “no strings attached”.

 

He dropped her hand, and suddenly things were normal between them again. They debated the usage of the Oxford comma, offered to physically fight each other’s incompetent project group members, and discussed whether their duplex should buy a community cat (“because cats are so much better than dogs, Clarke, and I don’t honestly think we have the parenting skills to properly raise a puppy”).

 

By all means, their night was perfectly normal, and definitely perfectly platonic. So when Clarke ended up naked in his bed by the end of the night, she justified herself because different friends do different things. Bellamy and Miller watch sports, she and Raven have a science YouTube channel for kids, Bellamy and Octavia play laser tag at the local mall, and Clarke and Bellamy have sex. Everyone has his niche.

 

+++

 

**10/22/18 at 12:27p**

**Clarke** : this class makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a dull pencil

 

 **Bellamy** : ok but have you considered maybe… idk… not doing that???

 

 **Clarke** : smh where’s the support

 

 **Bellamy** : I’ll make you dinner for surviving your labs and successfully adulting

 

 **Bellamy** : and then I’m sure we can find some other ways to help you relax ;)

 

 **Clarke** : like watching GOT?

 

 **Bellamy** : among other things ;)

 

 **Clarke** : dear god enough with the fucking winky faces

 

 **Clarke** : but yes other things would 100% work too

 

 **Bellamy** : ;)

 

+++

 

**10/24/18 at 4:03p**

**Octavia to _what idiot rented us a house_** : so I did a thing

 

 **Clarke to _what idiot rented us a house_** : oh boy

 

 **Jasper to _what idiot rented us a house_** : elaborate

 

 **Octavia to _what idiot rented us a house_** : I wanted to hang out with my cute coworker

 

 **Octavia to _what idiot rented us a house_** : but didn’t know what we should do

 

 **Octavia to _what idiot rented us a house_** : so I may’ve told him we’re throwing a banger Saturday night

 

 **Jasper to _what idiot rented us a house_ : **love that for you

**Bellamy to _what idiot rented us a house_** : cute coworker?! What’s his name? His social security number? His last permanent address? His mother’s maiden name?

**Octavia removed Bellamy from _what idiot rented us a house_**

 

**Clarke added Bellamy to _what idiot rented us a house_**

 

 **Murphy to _what idiot rented us a house_** : let’s focus on the more pressing matters at hand

 

 **Raven to _what idiot rented us a house_** : yes, like this party

 

 **Emori to _what idiot rented us a house_** : if we use the whole duplex we could def have hundreds of people

 

 **Harper to _what idiot rented us a house_** : omg and it’s Halloweekend we’re absolutely doing this

 

 **Bellamy to _what idiot rented us a house_** : ok but seriously who’s the guy, O

 

 **Monty to _what idiot rented us a house_** : ok but seriously do we even know 100 people

 

 **Octavia to _what idiot rented us a house_** : don’t be dumb you don’t have to know people at a house party

 

 **Miller to _what idiot rented us a house_** : just remember lads, if the cops come… I’m not on the lease

 

 **Miller to _what idiot rented us a house_** : I’ll still bail you out...

 

 **Miller to _what idiot rented us a house_** : ...but I’m just not going down with the ship

 

**Raven removed Miller from _what idiot rented us a house_**

 

+++

 

**10/27/18 at 10:12p**

 

By the time Saturday rolled around, the entire shared porch of the duplex was covered in fake cobwebs, and a patch of pumpkins Clarke had carved lined the outside staircase. In the den, the group had concocted a Witch’s Brew Jungle Juice, composed of 13 handles of unflavored Rubinoff and an assortment of fruit juices. Harper had bought ghost-themed cups that read, “Here for the Boos,” and if the group had purposefully neglected to sweeps spider webs from the basement stairwell (“it’s an aesthetic, guys, I’m not cleaning”), well then who could blame them?

 

With all their decorations hung, and all of their friends having RSVPed, the roommates sat on the sectional in the girl’s half feeling prepared. What they were not prepared for, however, was Bellamy and Clarke emerging from upstairs dressed as Sandy and Danny from _Grease_.

 

Their roommates exchanged glances, but Murphy spoke first from his place at the pong table, his bored expression juxtaposed greatly with the festive ghost cup in his hand. “You’re doing couples costumes, now?”

 

Jasper didn’t look up from where he and Raven were battling in _Guitar Hero_ , but he yelled toward the stairs, “if you wanted us to believe that you guys don’t…” he paused when Raven won the set to mutter, “FUCK” as he dropped his guitar to the floor. Then, he lifted his head toward the stairs for the first time since Bellamy and Clarke descended, and smirked, “if you wanted us to believe that you guys don’t have feelings for one another, you could at least try a little harder to be subtle.”

 

Octavia rolled her eyes, and stood to face her brother with her arms crossed, and accused, “What Jasper is trying to convey is that you must think we’re complete idiots if you want us to believe there’s nothing going on between you two”.

 

The corner of Clarke’s mouth twitched, but Bellamy spoke for the pair, “Seriously, O, we’re just friends”.

 

“Yeah,” Clarke began as Bellamy loosely wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “We’re just friends. Besides, no one accused me and Raven of having a torrid love affair when we went out for Halloween last year dressed as Peanut Butter and Jelly,” she argued.

 

“No one said anything about a torrid love affair???” Monty questioned from where he stood in the sunroom using a ladle to serve himself more Witch’s Brew.

 

“Plus,” Harper added, “you and Raven don’t shamelessly flirt the same way you and Bell do”.

 

Raven looked up from the television screen long enough to wink in Clarke’s direction and lick her lips. “You don’t know that,” she casually said as she turned her attention back toward the game.

 

Clarke rolled her eyes, and removed herself from underneath Bellamy’s arm to go watch Murphy and Emori dominate over Miller and Harper at beer pong.

 

Bellamy flopped back onto the sectional, and stared intently at the game on the television screen, pointedly ignoring his sister’s sharp gaze.

 

By the time their guests had arrived for the party and the floors were sticky with spilled Jungle Juice, their friends had forgotten to incessantly tease Bellamy and Clarke. They focused more on the songs that play over the speaker, whether everyone had enough to drink, and preventing guests from congregating upstairs. Even Jasper took his duties as bouncer too seriously to pay the pair much attention.

 

It was a shame, truly, that their roommates weren’t paying attention, for had they spared a second glance in the pair’s direction, they’d have seen Bellamy and Clarke leaned against the rickety staircase, Clarke’s left thumb lightly stroking across Bellamy’s cheek bone as she laughed, her right wrist caught in his hand and pressed firmly against his chest.

 

Had Miller drank less that night, perhaps he would’ve given more thought to the conversation he’d overheard from a guest about walking in on Sandy and Danny going at it in the bathroom

 

Or perhaps Murphy and Emori would have noticed on their way next door that one of their roommates was wrapped in the arms of another, leaning against the kitchen counter.

 

Had Harper not passed out before the end of the party, perhaps she’d have seen her friends dancing close in the basement, her roommate’s arms wound in her neighbor’s hair, their faces millimeters apart.

 

But as with most parties, the group of ten friends was distracted, only comparing stories of their night the next morning when they scrubbed the floors and disinfected the countertops. And when they were comparing stories of their night, Clarke and Bellamy conveniently forgot to mention they did more together than play beer pong.

 

+++

 

**11/03/18 at 5:31p**

**Clarke to _what idiot rented us a house_** : Bellamy is growing a mustache

 

 **Raven to _what idiot rented us a house_** : yes, and???

 

 **Clarke to _what idiot rented us a house_** : it doesn’t look good

 

 **Bellamy to _what idiot rented us a house_** : wtf Clarke it’s not like I can’t read

 

 **Miller to _what idiot rented us a house_** : ok so it may not be the most attractive

 

 **Miller to _what idiot rented us a house_** : but I don’t think its noteworthy for the gc

 

 **Clarke to what idiot rented us a house** : it’s patchy

 

 **Emori to _what idiot rented us a house_** : what’s the matter? Don’t like mustache rides?

 

**2 people disliked Emori’s message in _what idiot rented us a house_**

**Murphy liked Emori’s message in _what idiot rented us a house_**

 

 **Octavia to _what idiot rented us a house_** : she’s right it is patchy

 

 **Octavia to _what idiot rented us a house_** : it’s like the reverse of Hitler’s mustache

 

 **Bellamy to _what idiot rented us a house_** : too bad idc if you guys hate it it’s here to stay

 

+++

 

**11/06/18 at 2:28a**

 

 **Clarke to _what idiot rented us a house_** : update I changed my mind the mustache DEFINITELY grew on me

 

+++

 

**11/16/18 at 4:57p**

 

It was Octavia who had suggested a group ski trip at Killington during Thanksgiving recess. She and Bellamy would have stayed at the duplex by themselves, and they’d have been content to do so, but with Dr. Griffin working overtime at the hospital and Raven avoiding her cheating ex, it seemed like as good a time as any to make new traditions.

 

So on Friday after Bellamy was dismissed from his _History of Spying_ lecture, he immediately headed home to where his roommates stood waiting on the porch with duffle bags at their feet.

 

Miller and his boyfriend Brian were flying to Colorado to spend the holiday with Brian’s family, and Jasper and Monty were driving home to help Monty’s sick mother with the farm. Harper had tried to decline Octavia’s invitation, claiming she was too old to learn how to ski; but, Octavia wouldn’t take no for an answer, and decided that Harper would hang out at the lodge with Raven, whose knee didn’t allow her to ski.

 

When the group arrived at the airbnb they had rented for the week, the friends immediately split up to deposit their bags on the beds they claimed. John and Emori immediately claimed the master suite on the first floor, and Octavia, Raven and Harper decided to share the bedroom with a set of bunk beds and a twin bed.

 

This left Bellamy and Clarke to share the double bed in the third bedroom. While it would not be the first time they shared a bed by any means, it was the first time their friends knew about, and orchestrated, the bed sharing.

 

Bellamy rubbed the nape of his neck while Clarke tried to appeal to the girls. “I just think it would make more sense for two of us to share the bed, and Bell can take a single in your room,” she suggested.

 

Octavia rolled her eyes, and countered, “I’ve shared a room with Bellamy for too long. You can take one for the team”.

 

Clarke didn’t miss the shared smirk between Harper and Raven.

 

She reluctantly returned to the bedroom she’d be sharing with Bellamy and placed her things on the bed. He shot her a crooked smile, and announced, “Come on, it won’t be that bad, Clarke. I’ll even let you be the little spoon”.

 

She chuckled and threw a decorative pillow at his head.

 

+++

 

**11/16/18 at 11:35p**

 

 **Abby** : I saw pictures you posted on Facebook of my daughter and Bellamy

 

 **Raven** : cute, right?

 

 **Abby** : yes, very

 

 **Abby** : she didn’t tell me that they’re dating

 

 **Raven** : they’re not… not yet, anyway

 

 **Abby** : So does Clarke sit on all of her friends’ laps, then?

 

 **Raven** : nope, he’s special

 

+++

 

**11/17/18 at 8:43a**

 

Clarke woke up as she did most mornings, cocooned in a bundle of blankets and wrapped securely in Bellamy’s arms. She allowed her eyes to open although her face was still buried in his bare chest, and she felt him crane his neck to place a chaste kiss on her forehead.

 

She arched her back and lifted her neck to lock eyes with his deep chocolate-brown ones. He smiled lazily in response, and reached out to tuck a loose blonde strand behind her ear.

 

“Morning, Princess,” he greeted, voice gravelly from sleep.

 

Her heart performed a somersault in her chest, and a smile appeared across her face of its own accord. She almost reached out involuntarily to trace the patterns of his smattered freckles, but restrained herself. They’re friends. **_Just_** friends. Butterflies shouldn’t fly rampant through her stomach, a blush shouldn’t color her cheeks when they lock eyes for too long.

 

She should send him a text once every few days or so and ask about the homework. She should like his Instagram photos only when his captions are funny. You know, normal friend behavior that doesn’t involve dreaming about his arms every night.

 

After a heavy sigh, she rolled over and let her legs drape over the edge of the bed. She lifted up the sheets and pillows, searching for the bra Bellamy had haphazardly discarded in the early hours of the morning.

 

Giving up, she threw on a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants from her duffle bag and descended the stairs to go make pancakes.

 

The rest of her friends followed suit within the half hour, but Bellamy remained unseen. Clarke tried to banish all thoughts of him from her head, tried to focus on her friends (“because that’s why you’re on this trip, Clarke,” she berated herself. “This is a trip for **_friends_** ”).

 

Bellamy finally appeared long after everyone finished eating their pancakes, but he didn’t emerge from upstairs as everyone had expected. He barged through the front door, his face lit up like a child’s on Christmas with excitement.

 

“Guys, guess what!” Bellamy called, bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation.

 

Harper smiled encouragingly while Emori and Clarke shared amused grin. “Well, go on! Tell us,” Harper demanded.

 

“I bought a cat! His name is Ajax,” he announced, holding up a black Bombay cat _Circle of Life_ style from the _Lion King_.

 

Before Raven could even open her mouth to object, Bellamy interjected, “I already checked. The airbnb allows pets”. She shut her mouth in response.

 

He placed Ajax carefully on the hardwood floor, and he immediately padded over to Clarke and wrapped his lanky body around her leg, purring. Clarke looked down and regarded the animal the same way Raven had regarded Miller upon finding out his laptop password was “password”.

 

Bellamy came over and loosely draped an around her waist, then cooed, “Aw, Ajax likes his mommy”.

 

Clarke’s eyes immediately shot open to the size of saucers, and she stared blankly at Bellamy. A guttural cough escaped her, so she cleared her throat and croakily asked, “Mommy?”

 

Murphy snickered nearby, then buried him face in Emori’s shoulder in a vain attempt to conceal his amusement.

 

Bellamy, however, seemed unfazed. He nodded, still smiling, and echoed, “Mommy, yeah”. He took in her fish-out-of-water expression, and narrowed his eyebrows for the first time. “Why, would you rather he call you something else?”

 

Clarke fanned her face, feeling suddenly hot. Her ears rung as though someone had set off fireworks nearby. Before she could process her emotions, she exploded, “He’s not going to call me anything, Bellamy, because he’s a fucking cat that can’t talk!”

 

He blinked in surprise. He looked pleadingly toward where his sister and friends stood surrounded by coffee mugs at the island, but they excused themselves, awkwardly muttering about having forgotten to put on matching socks.

 

Once their friends had left and the pair was alone again, Bellamy turned toward Clarke. He cocked his head to the side, and looked at her with one eyebrow raised. “I’m sorry Clarke,” he began with his ears tinged pink. “Did I do something wrong?”

 

She rubbed her face tiredly with her palms, then opened her eyes to face Bellamy, and whispered, “I just… I just think things are moving too fast between us. We’re supposed to be just friends, yeah? And friends shouldn’t be adopting cats together”.

 

He nodded, and when he responded, he spoke slowly and deliberately as if speaking with a child who didn’t understand. “We’ve been together for literal months, Clarke. Things aren’t moving too fast”.

 

She groaned, and then slammed her hands onto the island counter in exasperation. “That’s just it, Bell!” she insisted. “We haven’t ever been ‘together!’ We’re **_friends_** , isn’t that what we agreed on? Friends and **_nothing more_**!”

 

When he looked at her as though she’d slapped him across the face, she spoke again, but softer, “I’m sorry, Bell. I just don’t want us to ruin our friendship by taking this relationship to a step we aren’t ready for”.

 

He scooped the cat from the floor, and began to walk toward the stairs without a response. She watched him walk away, his back turned to her. As he reached the first step, he pivoted, and said in a detached voice, “you don’t have to worry about our friendship being affected. It already is”.

 

She’d have preferred him to yell.

 

+++

 

**11/17/18 at 3:07p**

 

Clarke stood in the ski lodge, rubbing her hands together over a flame in an attempt to maintain body heat. After her fight with Bellamy, she and her friends headed to the mountain, where Harper and Raven drank at the bar instead of braving the wind on the slopes. Bellamy stubbornly avoided her gaze, and none of her friends mentioned their argument from earlier.

 

Bellamy and Octavia and John and Emori had ridden the ski lift in pairs, leaving Clarke to wallow in her guilt and ride alone. On her third trip up the mountain, Clarke prepared herself for another silent trip, but instead a pale woman with chestnut colored hair and high cheekbones sat on the lift next to her. She introduced herself as Lexa, and the pair continued to ski together the remainder of the day as Clarke’s friends avoided her.

 

Now, they stood side by side in the ski lodge, each sporting a beer in their hands. Lexa laughed at a story Clarke had been telling her about the time Jasper caught a mouse in the house, where she waved her hands animatedly in an imitation of Jasper’s reaction.

 

Bellamy and her friends stood nearby, toasting marshmallows over the flame and conversing quietly. Raven playfully threw marshmallows at Octavia as she tried to catch them in her mouth, and Harper, Emori and Murphy put the same amount of concentration into making s’mores that one would put into disconnecting a bomb. Bellamy stood glumly, arms crossed in front of his chest, lips pressed into a thin line. Clarke wished she could go over and smooth out the wrinkles in his face, but she lost that right this morning.

 

She turned away from her friends, and tuned back into what Lexa was saying. Lexa looked at her expectantly, and Clarke looked down as she muttered, “sorry, could you repeat that?”

 

Lexa laughed and swatted her shoulder, then repeated, “I **_said_** , are you single?”

 

Clarke inadvertently glanced back toward Bellamy, but forced her eyes to meet Lexa’s as she declared, “Yes, yes I’m single”.

 

Bellamy pushed past her to stalk out of the lodge.

 

Raven and Octavia immediately stopped throwing food at each other, and their eyes followed Bellamy as the door to the lodge slammed shut behind him. They shared a look between them, each with an eyebrow raised, before painting faux smiles on their faces and heading toward Clarke.

 

Raven offered Lexa a half smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, then looped her arm through Clarke’s and interjected, “Hi, I am so sorry to have to cut in, but we have a very urgent matter to discuss with Clarke”.

 

Octavia wound her arm through Clarke’s on her other side, and they dragged her away as Clarke offered an apology toward Lexa and muttered disgruntledly to her friends.

 

They deposited Clarke on a wooden bench on the other side of the lodge, and Octavia and Raven loomed over her. Clarke hung her head, adamantly avoiding direct eye contact.

 

Raven spoke first, annoyance lacing her voice. “You’re being an idiot,” she announced.

 

Clarke snapped her head up, her eyes narrowing as she spoke dangerously low, “excuse me”

 

Octavia rolled her eyes, and then assisted Raven. “You’re being dumb”. Clarke scowled in response, but Octavia continued, “Did we not make ourselves clear? Let me try again. You so obviously have feelings for my brother, and you’re cowardly for not admitting them”.

 

“Not to mention you’re kinda being a dick, flirting with that girl right in front of him,” Raven added helpfully.

 

“I am **_not_** dating Bellamy,” Clarke insisted.

 

Octavia surveyed Clarke from head to toe, and upon deciding she was being serious in her affirmation, Octavia spat, “you made that very clear this morning”. Clarke’s cheeks flushed with color.

 

Raven arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow at her roommates, and then shot back, “What O means is that you’ve been denying this for months. But how would you feel if found out Bell were flirting with a lot of other girls?”

 

She hated herself for asking, but in a small voice Clarke whispered, “Wait, is he?”

 

Raven scoffed in response, then shouted, “No you idiot! But that’s not the point!” When other skiers in the lodge turned in the girls’ direction, Raven lowered her voice, but kept its intensity as she said, “The point is that you have you feelings for him, and you’d be jealous if the roles were reversed”.

 

Clarke’s anger dissipated, and shame quickly took its place. They were right, of course. She had been purposely trying to hurt Bellamy by talking to Lexa, and it obviously worked.

 

“Ok, suppose you’re right,” Clarke conceded. “What am I supposed to do now? He made it very clear this morning that I’ve ruined our friendship.”

 

Both girls rolled their eyes, and Octavia threw her hands up in frustration. “Are you seriously that stupid?” she demanded.

 

Raven shot Octavia a disapproving look, and then she gently wrapped an arm around Clarke’s shoulders. “Again, what O means to say is that you could **_never_** ruin your friendship. He’s hurt right now, yeah. But that’s mostly just his pride. Talk to him or whatever; just explain how you’re feeling. Who knows, you may even have hot make up sex,” she offered.

 

In response, Clarke blushed furiously. “Actually, Bell and I have kinda been sleeping together for months now,” she rushed out in one breath.

 

If her roommates were surprised, it didn’t register on their features. Octavia blinked twice, then pushed Clarke toward the door, speaking more kindly to her than she had since before the argument as she advised, “Go find him”.

 

+++

 

**11/17/18 at 4:18p**

 

As soon as Clarke’s Uber pulled into the driveway of the airbnb, and she had disembarked and run across the yard toward the front porch, she ran smack into Bellamy’s chest. He had been storming out the front door, toting his duffle bag and cat carrier in hand.

 

She looked up and sheepishly met his eyes. Where just this morning he had looked at her with warmth and genuine affection, he now peered down at her with derision.

 

“Come back to rub your rejection in my face some more, have you?” he mocked.

 

Bellamy began to push past her, trying to escape down the stairs, but Clarke caught his wrist. He placed his items on the ground, and watched her with a careful eye. He arched one eyebrow is response, urging Clarke to continue.

 

“LookBellI’mSoSorry,” she breathed out quickly, afraid he’d leave before she could get a word in edgewise. When he narrowed his eyes in confusion, she took a steadying breath, and then slowly repeated, “I’m so sorry, Bell. I’ve been a jerk”.

 

He nodded, but said nothing in reply.

 

Taking his silence as a cue to continue, Clarke elaborated, “I was so afraid that by acknowledging that I have feelings for you, I would ruin our friendship. I know, you said I did that by being such a dick this morning, and you’re right, but I was just afraid I was the only one that fell so hard”

 

She lowered her eyes toward the ground as she waited for Bellamy to react. She expected mocking or anger or silence, but she did not expect the chuckle that erupted from his chest. When she raised her eyes to meet his, she saw his eyes alight with amusement and his grin wide across his face.

 

“Clarke,” he began through laughter. “I adopted a fucking cat, and called you it’s mother. You really think you’re the only one who’s fallen?”

 

She smiled at this too, realizing for the first time she may have completely underestimated Bellamy’s affection for her.

 

“Well, when you put it like that…” she offered. She reached out and took his hands, willing him to stop laughing and look her in the eyes as she declared, “But still, Bell. I am so sorry.”

 

He squeezed his hands in answer, and he closed the distance between them. Their kiss was messy, mostly just the bumping of teeth because they were both grinning like fools. But it was their first real kiss, so Clarke would never complain.

 

+++

 

**11/18/18 at 3:22a**

 

 **Harper to _wait so are they canon who can even keep track these days_** : GUYS

 

 **Monty to _wait so are they canon who can even keep track these days_ :** ???/????

 

 **Harper to _wait so are they canon who can even keep track these days_ :** it’s finally happened

 

 **Miller to _wait so are they canon who can even keep track these days_ :** wtf I miss all the good stuff

 

**Jasper changed the group name to _my_ _OTP is canon aaaaah_**

 

 **Jasper to _my OTP is canon aaaaah_** : this is the best news ever aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

 

 **Emori to _my OTP is canon aaaaah_** : how do you even know

 

 **Raven to _my OTP is canon aaaaah_** : you’re lucky your room is downstairs

 

 **Octavia to _my OTP is canon aaaaah_** : yeah my ears are scarred I’ll never be the same

 

 **Octavia to _my OTP is canon aaaaah_** : may have to cut them off

 

 **Octavia to _my OTP is canon aaaaah_** : worth it though


End file.
